Hockey stick



Oct. 21, 1941. c w EVERNDEN 2,260,218

HOCKEY STICK Filed Dec. 26, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1" 10 Ewe Mmam 1941- -E. g w. EVERNDE'N 6 HOCKEY STICK Filed Dec. 26, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 niur. I I'mas 5255272177651? Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlC HOCKEY STICK,

Ernest Charles William Evernden, St. Johns, Quebec, Canada Application December 26, 1939, Serial No. 311,052

7Claim's. (01173-67) This invention relates to improvements in hockey sticks.

In my prior United States Patent No. 2,028,728 I have disclosed improved hockey stick construction which involves manufacturing the hockey stick in three pieces, a handle and a blade and an insert interposed between the handle and the blade. In this construction the lower end of the handle and the rearward end of the blade were slotted so as to embrace the opposed ends respectively of the insert. This construction, however, was such that the insert formed a part of the blade having exposed sides which in effect formed a continuation of the blade and the insert itself formed the heel of the hockey stick. While this construction is satisfactory from the point of view of producing a hockey stickwhich will render good service, there are two possible objections to the structure. The first is that the blade shows a joint line across its outside faces L between the heel and toe of the stick which tends to give the impression that the hockey stick is one of patched up construction. The second is that some exception might be taken to the spaced apart joints between the insert and the blade and the handle which might give rise to the impression that it was not particularly strong at this point, even though such joint construction .would provide a strong stick, It'is possible to improve this construction to obviate both these disadvantages retaining the very desirable construction which includes the use of an insert, and providing a blade of clean cut appearance and a joint effected at the heel of the stick between the three parts which will materially strengthen the stick. It is also possible to produce a blade of greater strength and a structure which simplifies the manufacture and production of a high grade hockey stick employing an insert.

According to the invention I form the forked effected using a one piece blade but I prefer to employ a blade made up of more than two plies of material which has the effect of strengthening the blade and which lends itself readily to the formation of the type of joint described while making it possible to manufacture a high grade hockey stick in a simplified manner obviating some of the precision work necessary when employing a one-piece blade. A particularly efficient construction may be produced employing a blade made up of three plies wherein the centre ply is constructed to co-operate particularly with the insert, which construction obviates fine precision work ordinarily necessary in the manufacture of a hockey stick of this general type employing a one piece blade and a slot cut in the of the finished stick to overlie and embraceporprovide a hockey stick which hasa five ply heel,

and in which the blade is free from joint markings between the toe and the point where the handle is attached. The construction may be rearward end which must accurately mate with the forward end of the insert.

The invention will be described in detail in the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lower end of a hockey stick illustrating the heel arrangement of the stick in particular.

Figure 2 is a similar perspective view with the stick reversed showing the upper edge of the stick in particular,

. Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. s

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a hockey stick in whichthe blade is made from two plies of material joinedin the plane of the blade. r

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken through the blade heel of a hockey stick of the type illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a schematic view of the parts and the arrangement in the manufacture of a blade made up of three plies of material.

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken through a blade made up of three plies prior to final formation.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a three ply blade and the manner in which it is mated with an insert.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view partly in section of a three ply finished blade.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 and 3, A indicates a hockey stick which is formed in three pieces, a blade ID, a handle II and an insert l2. The blade ID, as shown is a one piece blade in the rear end of which a slot [3 is out, the slot being tapered inwardly so as to have a larger cross-sectional width at the heel braces the lower portion of the insert.

the length of the blade.

processing steps. i

' handle is alsoforked which results in the spaced apart. arms or portions l1 and I8. I The insert is shaped to provide opposed sections l9 and '20 at general shape of the heel .of the stick. The 6p posed sections aretapered so as'to fit with 'the' I is tapered slots of the blade l and handle -I an angle to one another so as to conform with the glued together or secured in a desired manner. In this construction the core first of all is shaped in a general manner corresponding to the final shaping of the stick by tapering it inwardly from the bottomto the top, as indicated at 2'l, and also tapering it longitudinally from the heel to the toe, if desired, substantially as shown in Figure 8. The core is shorter than the outer pieces 24 and 26 and its rearward end is chain: fered on one side, as indicated at-28 (see Figure '6) whereas the forward end 29 of the insert is correspondingly chamfered, as at 3!]. Thus these two parts may be fitted togetherso that the in-v contradistinction to my prior construction the sides of the insert are designed to be wholly encased by the blade and the handlepfthe-stick;

It will be noted upon reference to Figures 1 and 2 particularly that the forked portion of the blade is designed to receive the section l9ofgithe insert and to completely embraceqthe 'lowerg por tionof the insert. On the other hand-the forked portion ofthe lower end of the handle is designed to Y receive and completely embrace the upper.

portion of the insert andinadditiontoLextend to the base 30f the stickand overlieand embrace portions of a forked part of the blade which em- Thus .an extremely strongv construction is produced wherein the heel of the stick at the joint is reinforced to a maximum extent having I a five ply heel. Moreover, except for the line of juncture-be tween the lower end'of the handle and the blade,

the latter is clean out throughout its extent.

without theoccurrence of a joint anywhere along In constructing .the .stick the insert may be fitted in theslotfil3 of the blade and the .rear end of the blade overlying .theyinsert may. be undercut and tapered rearwardlyso as to merge neatly with the overlapping. portions of the handle, thus to provide a neat joint and a final thickness of heel corresponding to the. usual thickness of a finished stick after the 'blade ancl handle have been shaped andfinished toxproduce the final article. p

This construction may be further'improved' by forming the blade in sections. One form of construction of this character is shown in Figures 4 and 5 wherein the bladejis made upoftwo pieces of material 2|: and 22 disposed parallel to the plane-of the blade and .joined together. This will provide for a stronger blade and, moreover,

tends to simplify the construction of the stick. For instance, the slot 23 which is p'roducedzintthe blade may be readily Iormed'by chamferin'geach piece of material 2| or22 beforethey; are2ui1ited together andthus the slot 23 finally formed may be produced without the precision work which is necessary in forming a COII'GSDOIldlIIgfSlOt in a one piece blade; The outside .of' the arms M and I5 of the forked portion of this blade lmay likewise be tapered on the outside as shown" and the corresponding parts of the handle fitted in the same manner as described. As a result .an even stronger hockey stick is produced since it has the strong interlocked, five plyireinforced *fs'ert in effect constitutes a continuation of the .core 25 or conversely the core forms an exten s'ion of the insert. In this case also it will be appreciated that the fine precision work neces- .sa'ry to cut the groove in a single piece blade is not necessary since the core 25 and the insertmay be chamfered with accuracy in a simple operation. Thus, uponfitting the core and the point of juncture with the coreso asto produce in effect the structure shown Figure 8. At

this point it will be realized that the bladelso formed hasthe roughgeneral shape of-thefinal blade in view of the taperingof thecore gan d it.

will be particularly appreciated that when the outer'plies of'material 24 and 25 are processed to produce the desired fine taper of the blade there is no possibility of the outer pliesb'eing cut-down to an extent to expose the core atany point. Moreover this providesa substantial ,ainountof material in the blade topermit :the

removal of some of it from the outer face. ,to give the necessary shape in forming a right hand or. l ft handstick without impairing oftheblade. r

The handle may be applied in the' ma l l er' previously described .in connection with other forms of construction illustrated. In this-goon- =nection the rearward ends of the outeripliqs gnay a From. the foregoing it will. be ,appreciatedrthat I have. p d d ani p ved type of st t re which in any of its forms will produce an :extrem e ly;strong and durable blade while-permit- ,ting fine workmansh p iconsistent with .the:high

standards required in the manufacture .of. high grade hockey sticks. Moreovenin tho'sejormsof heel,'while in addition it includes. a stronger blade made of laminations which involve simpler A' preferred construction is .gillustrated in mn tr i employing m tir ly bladeinsaddition-to added strength I am able tos'obtainthe advantage of a saving'in wood costs. v ,WhatIclaim-is: v gw. 5,1. A hockey stick comprising ablade, a handle 6 ;and ,an insert interposed between the? blade-sand handle in the heel area .,of the stiok 'saidiblade and, .handlebeing formed to 1receive the ;insert' Lbetween-their sides,. the. blade embracing ;'.:the lower :portion of the. insert, the :handle embracing the'upper 'portion'ofthe insert andoverlapping :and:embracing the portions of the. bladelwhich einbrace' the lower portion of the insert;

2,. A hockey. stick comprising a blade; aaiha'ndle andan insert interposed betweenzzthem ain-"itlre heel area of the sticksaid blade beingafonne'd df the st ngth a a plurality of plies of material disposed parallel to the plane of the blade and joined together, two of said plies being separate from one another at the rear end of the blade to receive therebetween and embrace the lower portion of the insert, the

lower end of the handle being forked to receive and embrace the upper portion of the insert and overlap and embrace portions of the blade which embrace the lower portion of the insert.

3. A hockey stick as claimed in claim 2 in which the blade is made up of two plies of material, the inner surface of the rearward end of each ply being chamfered to form with the other ply a tapered slot for receiving the insert.

4. A hockey stick as claimed in claim 2 in which the blade is formed with three plies of material, the centre ply forming an extension of the insert and being shorter than the outer plies, the rearward end of the centre ply being chamfered to merge with the insert, the longer outer plies forming a forked end on the blade to receive the insert.

5. A hockey stick comprising a blade and a handle and an insert interposed between them in the heel area of the stick, said blade being formed of three plies of material disposed parallel to the plane of the blade and joined together, the centre ply being tapered to approximate the final general shape of the blade, said centre ply being shorter than the outer plies and terminating a distance inwardly from the rearward end of the blade and cut to engage with the insert, the portions of the outer plies extending beyond the centre ply forming a forked end on the blade to receive the insert, said handle being connected to the stick by said insert.

- 6. A hockey stick comprising a blade and a handle and an insert interposed between them in the heel area of the stick, said blade being formed of three plies of material disposed parallel to the plane of the blade and joined together, the centre ply being tapered to approximate the final general shape of the blade, said centre ply being shorter than the outer plies and terminating a distance inwardly from the rearward end of the blade and cut to engage with the insert, the portions of the outer plies extending beyond the centre ply forming a forked end on the blade to receive the insert and extending to completely embrace the lower portion of the insert, the handle being forked to receive and completely embrace the upper portion of the insert and overlap and embrace portions of the blade which embrace the lower portion of the insert.

7. A blade for a hockey stick comprising three plies of material secured together, the centre ply being shaped substantially to conform to the final shape of the blade and disposing the outer plies in planes substantially coinciding with the final shape of the blade.

ERNEST CHARLES WILLIAM EVERNDEN. 

